


Critically Acclaimed Flirting

by x_Lazart_x



Series: All the Coffee Shop AU's [4]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bakery, Bakery, Dorks in Love, Fluff, M/M, baker!Stiles, food critic!Derek
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-17
Updated: 2014-07-17
Packaged: 2018-02-09 05:39:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,362
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1971006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/x_Lazart_x/pseuds/x_Lazart_x
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When a grumpy stranger comes into his bakery, Stiles doesn't give it a second thought. Except that he thinks about him all the time, falling hard. And then he gets the news that a critic is coming, cue the impending freak out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Critically Acclaimed Flirting

Stiles had a love-hate relationship with working the front end of his bakery. It took him away from the kitchen and the actual baking, which was what he was good at. Hell he opened his own bakery so he could make what he wanted, when he wanted to. But being in the front meant he got to see the enjoyment on the customers faces when they bit into his treats (there were a few instances where that wasn’t the reaction but those were few and far between). He also got to deal with grumpy, impatient people. On the other hand there were those who were super friendly and asked him to pass along their compliments and suggestions to the mastermind behind the best treats they’d ever tasted. And okay, that last bit might have been a slight exaggeration, but only slightly.

Point being, he rarely chose to work the register. In fact he usually avoided it at all costs. Unfortunately that day he was stuck in that stupid apron dealing with people. The night before Erica had called in to say that she had the flu and wouldn’t be making it in. It was too late to find anyone else willing to cover the shift so he was stuck with it. Which meant getting up even earlier than usual so he had time to make the goods before having to get everything else ready.

The morning rush of people heading to work and class at least kept him busy for a few hours. After it slowed down, he went in back to stick a few more trays into the oven so there’d be fresh cakes for the afternoon. When he came back into the front, humming to himself, he was met with the sight of one of the most attractive men he’d ever seen in his life. And he was frowning and glancing impatiently at his watch. Not a good sign.

“Hi sorry about that. We’re a little short staffed today and I had to put the afternoon cakes into the  oven otherwise they’d never be ready in time and that would be a disaster,” he rambled as he pulled the apron back on, flashing his most winning smile.

“Maybe if management did their job right,” the guy suggested, brows down and frown in place. Narrowing his eyes, Stiles had to stop himself from snapping back, being nice to customers was rule number one.

“No need to be rude,” okay so he couldn’t completely control himself. Did he mention he didn’t like being up front? “Were you planning on actually ordering anything?”The guys eyebrows shot up and the hint of a smile tugged at his mouth.

“Does your boss know you talk to people like that?” Perhaps that hadn’t been a smile.

“He understands when it’s justified,” Stiles said turning up his nose. The laughter startled him so much he almost fell over. And fucking hell. How could that guy get any more attractive? Never mind stopping himself from being rude, he had to stop himself from climbing that guy like a tree.

 “I’m sure he does,” hot guy finally offers sarcastically, but he was still smiling, showing off his perfect teeth.

“Stiles Stilinski,” he introduces himself, just to prove his point, after all it was the Stilinski name over the door.

“Derek,” the guy said and yeah okay Stiles could definitely see him as a Derek. For a second Stiles just stood smiling stupidly before he remembered that he still hadn’t even served him and someone else was heading towards the counter.

“Oh right! Sorry, here let me get you a cake! What do you want? It’s on the house of course,” Stiles insisted, pushing himself away from the counter. And no, he wasn’t trying to bribe the perfect person in front of him with free cake. Much. If he just happened to come back again that would just be good business. But the suggestion seemed to have annoyed Derek somehow because the scowl was back. Not that that stopped him from pointing to the apple tarts he’d just made that morning. Wrapping it carefully he handed it over but before he could ask Derek what was wrong (things had been going so well!) the other man had walked off and another customer replaced him, ready to order. Slumping, he let him go, deciding it obviously wasn’t meant to be.

 

* * *

 

That would have been the end of it if not for the fact that three days later Erica poked her head into the kitchen just to tell him a sex god had invaded his shop. Normally Stiles would just ignore her when she did that but today… well he was just going to have a peek through the window in the door. He just needed a quick break. Sure enough it was Derek, just like he suspected (or hoped, basically the same thing).

Without stopping to think about the fact that he was covered in flour and had frosting on his face (it never failed, he didn’t know how it always happened), he was tripping through the door and headed straight for Derek.

“You’re back!” he greeted, flopping into the chair opposite Derek’s, jostling the table slightly. “I mean, hi.”

“Good morning,” Derek answered, an amused smirk spreading across his face, leaning forward. “Been hard at work this morning?” It was asked innocently, so much so that it put Stiles on edge.

“Yes….” trying to be subtle he glanced towards the window and ran his hand through his hair, feeling for bits of dough. All he managed to do was spread the flour more thoroughly around, a small cloud falling forming around him. Laughter bubbled out of Derek and Stiles couldn’t even bring himself to be embarrassed, just giving him a sheepish smile.

“You missed a bit,” Derek chuckled, gesturing to his whole face. Trying to look put out, he pouted, struggling to keep his smile at bay.

“I get really caught up,” he admitted with a shrug, pink creeping up his cheeks. There were times when he forgot that he wasn’t in his kitchen at home, singing along to the radio at the top of his lungs, not to mention the dancing, and Erica had to come in and tell him to shut up. Once she’d just left him singing and when he’d came out with a ray of fresh goodies it was to a round of applause from the laughing guests. At this point he basically just accepted that he was going to constantly look foolish at work. Or in his life in general.

“That just means you’re doing it right,” Derek agreed, completely serious.

Totally smitten, Stiles stayed out talking to him for well over an hour. Talking about where he’d went to business school, about his Dad and his friends. He learnt that Derek had three sisters and a brother, two of whom were chefs. That he graduated from NYU and worked as a freelance journalist of sorts, mainly selling his works to the BH Post. When he’d casually asked if he’d written anything Stiles would have read, Derek’s face had scrunched up, as if trying to figure something out, before being told that he probably hadn’t.

Honestly he could have stayed there all day soaking up every little thing about Derek. He probably would have if Erica hadn’t thrown a dish towel at his head, shouting that the oven was beeping and did he smell smoke?

Frantically scrambling to get into the kitchen, he knocked his chair over, forgetting to say goodbye to Derek. After he had the situation under control, and the pies had been saved from complete disaster, he went back out front just to find that Derek had left, and the chair set to rights. Quelling his disappointment, he ignored the smirk Erica sent his way. He didn’t even get his number.

 

* * *

 

From that moment on Derek showed up at least four times a week. Since Stiles was in every morning, he was usually right there to talk his ear off. It wasn’t till a month later, still without his number, that things changed between the two of them.

That particular Tuesday morning had started out well. By the time Derek showed up at eleven it was as if he was walking into a mad house.

Stiles had on two coats and a scarf, with a handful of tissues clutched in his hand. Plastered against the kitchen door he was wailing incoherently at Erica, who was hurriedly tidying up. Her hair was starting to come out of her bun, glancing around for more things to set straighten and looked harried in general, obviously ignoring her boss.

“Um should I just leave,” Derek half joked. Spinning around Stiles practically threw himself at a mildly alarmed Derek.

“No! We need customer! Tuesdays are always slow and this is terrible,” Stiles moaned in between blowing his nose.

“I have no idea what’s going on,” Derek admitted, gently pushing Stiles off his shoulder, where he’d collapsed.

“I have the flu and so I can’t bake but we still need cakes and stuff to, you know, sell. But Boyd who usually helps out had to take his sister to San Francisco to look at colleges. They’re super close, its disgustingly adorable. So there was no one else who could do it so Scott came in because he’s my best bro but dude he shouldn’t be in a kitchen, he burns everything  he touches,” Stiles finally ran out of breath and Derek took the opportunity to interject, guiding Stiles down into a chair.

“Why don’t you just close for the day,” he asked, seriously worrying for the mental health of everyone currently involved in this situation.

“Apparently that Hale character, the food critic from the paper, is coming today,” Erica supplied, when Stiles just let his head fall against the table, sounding incredibly pissed about it.

“Scott’s wife Allison works with the paper and she heard someone talking about Hale and this place and today. Today of all days! Why couldn’t it have been last week? I’m never going to get any business again,” Stiles complained, barely legible, voice muffled by his arms.

“It’s already in the paper,” Derek informed them, amusement coloring his tone. Digging around in his bag, he pulled out the days paper. Flicking through he opened it to the review and dropped it on Stiles head, making him jolt up. “Your friends wife must have misheard.”

Sitting fully up, Stiles snatched the paper, eyes skimming down the page till he found what he was looking for.

“Great service…. friendly atmosphere… amazing baked goods,” Stiles read aloud, mouth falling open. “But… but when were they here?”

“Let me see that,” Erica demanded, grabbing the paper out of his slack grasp. “Wow it really does say that!” The surprised way she said it made Stiles turn and glare, slightly insulted. “Not because it isn’t true. It’s just weird that none of us even know a critic was coming. I thought they were supposed to warn you about these things.”

“It kind of defeats the purpose if they know you’re coming and pull out all the stops,” Derek told them shrugging. Erica was agreeing with him when she trailed off, giving him a weird stare.

“How do you know that?”

“It’s common sense,” he said with a scoff. “Also, sorry, we’ve never been properly introduced. Derek Hale.”

“You’re Hale?” Stiles screeched, hands flying around him wildly.

“Mhm. The first time I came in I thought you recognized me since you gave me free treats. After that it was pretty obvious you didn’t have a clue but I really liked this place so I kept coming in and you continued to talk to me so…” the disarming smile he gave momentarily distracted Stiles before he came to his senses, punching Derek lightly on the arm.

“You total jerk!” Yet he was laughing. A tad hysterically but that was okay, it had kind of been a long morning.

“I told you I worked for the paper?” Derek offered, a tad jokingly. He knew he hadn’t really given Stiles enough information to connect the dots, but everything had been going so well, he hadn’t wanted to do anything to jeopardize that. But he had been planning to tell him… eventually.

“You’re just so...ugh,” for a brief second Derek worried that he had ruined it. That Stiles didn’t like being lied to by omission and everything that was happening between had been for nothing.

But then he had an arm full of Stiles. Their teeth clacked together when Stiles went in for an overly enthusiastic kiss, before pulling back and trying again, more gently. His lips were chapped and two seconds into the kiss he had to turn his head away as a coughing fit gripped him. And yet, the kiss had been perfect. Grinning dopily at Derek, whether from all the cold medicine or from the rush of emotion he wasn’t a hundred percent sure, but either way Derek was smiling back.   
  
“Eww gross get a room you two,” Erica huffed, throwing her apron onto the counter and heading into the kitchen. “I’m telling Scott that we’re closing up.”  Then she passed through the swinging door and the two of them were alone.

“ So I guess you’re okay with me not being completely honest about my job?” Derek ventured to ask.

“I suppose since you wrote all nice things..” Stiles said thoughtfully. “ You can always take me out to dinner to make up for it.”

“Maybe next week when you’re feeling better. Which, by the way, if you got me sick we are definitely even,” Derek said mock sternly, leaning in for another quick peck, his laughter filling the room. As for Stiles, well he’d never been so glad that he was stuck on the front end that day, four weeks ago. Otherwise he might have missed out on meeting Derek. Despite the fact they barely knew each other, and had just shared their first kiss, Stiles just knew that from that moment on his life was going to change for the better, with Derek right by his side.

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> My tumblr is [here](http://x-lazart-x.tumblr.com/) Come say hi or give me a prompt!


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